TREATMENT OF OSTEOPOROSIS IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: SODIUM FLUORIDE OR CALCITONIN

Historical controversy and lack of controlled clinical trial study comparing the effects of sodium fluoride and calcitonin therapies in osteoporosis of patients with RA made us to conduct this study to clarify which one of the above treatments would be more useful and effective in the treatment of osteoporosis.

From subjects who turned to Ahwaz Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinic during 2000, all women who met the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1987 criteria for RA (7), WHO 1994 criteria for osteoporosis (8) and signed the written consent were enrolled into the study. Considering these inclusion criteria, 70 women were enrolled into the study. They were randomized into two groups. Age, BMI (body mass index) and BMD (bone mineral density) were the adjusted variables during randomization. Thirty-four patients were treated with 20 mg sodium fluoride daily and 36 patients with 200 units nasal calcitonin per day. All patients were treated for 12 months.

Patients who received Fluoride showed significant higher BMD in femoral neck (0.74 vs. 0.65, p<0.01) and in lumbar spine (0.90 vs. 0.79, p<0.05) than who received calcitonin after 12 months of therapy.